Perioperative briefings and debriefings are a good way to improve communication and teamwork in the operating room and can lead to improved patient outcomes, according to an article in JAMA Surgery.
The piece was penned by authors from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore who implemented briefings and debriefings as part of a comprehensive unit-based safety program.
At Johns Hopkins Hospital, the briefing program was implemented as part of a CUSP for the colorectal OR. In one year of using surgical site infection prevention interventions and performing briefings and debriefings as part of the CUSP, there was a 33 percent reduction in colorectal SSI and evidence of culture improvement in the OR, according to the article.
Briefings differ from time-outs in that they rely on three-way communication between surgeons, nurses and anesthesiologists. A briefing includes an introduction, a traditional time-out and then a formal review of the case by the anesthesia team, the surgical team and the nursing team all together. According to the article, preoperative briefings can be performed effectively in less than two minutes.
"Briefings and debriefings are a good method for improving teamwork and communication in the OR, and effective implementation may be associated with improved patient outcomes," the authors concluded. "Commitment by the participating providers is essential for effective briefings, which include discussion of relevant information pertaining to the procedure."
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